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User blog:Reaper with no name/Comparative Analysis: Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon
In today's edition of Reaper's Blog 4 Thinkin', we'll be taking a look at two Jaegers that we got to see very little of, and attempt to compare them with Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka in the theoretical arena of Kaiju-killing. Since we've seen significantly less of these two, there will have to be slightly more speculation than usual, but things should still work out. Statlines When it comes to the numbers for Speed/Strength/Armor, Cherno Alpha has 3/10/10 and Crimson Typhoon has 9/8/6. The fact that the two have equal statlines is somewhat interesting, given the large generation gap. But I suppose that simply means that Cherno Alpha was built to last. Physical Features Crimson Typhoon is defined by the fact that it has three pilots. Presumably, a three-way drift leaves more room for error, but it also allows for the presence of a third arm. This third arm is located in such a way that it doesn't offer quite the range of motion one would expect from a third arm (its range of motion is effectively the same as the second arm), but it does mean the ability to attack twice in one swing. Overall, it's a significant but not overwhelming advantage. In addition, Crimson Typhoon is also known for its ability to reverse its torso and deliver high kicks. Finally, Crimson Typhoon has three rear thrusters that can be individually manipulated to increase the speed of a melee strike. Cherno Alpha, on the other hand, has its Conn-Pod located in its chest instead of its head. This makes it more secure, but leaves no room for an escape mechanism (never mind the purely practical consideration that one cannot turn their head to look side-to-side if they lack a head in the first place). Overall, it's probably as much a help as a hindrance. Cherno also possesses foot spikes that it can fire into the ground to maintain balance. However, given that these are only useful for holding Cherno in place, they are likely inferior to the various balance mechanisms that the other three major Jaegers have. We also cannot forget that Cherno, like Gipsy, is nuclear and analog. Fist and Bladed Weaponry Crimson Typhoon's biggest gimmick (other than the fact that it has three arms) is the thundercloud formation, where its hands become spinning blades capable of penetrating into Otachi's flesh. However, the wounds don't appear particularly deep, and there is no mention of any cauterizing effect anywhere. Cherno Alpha, on the other hand, has two different mechanisms that increase the power of its punches (the "roll of nickels" and hydraulic pistons). In addition, if Cherno brings both of its fists on either side of a Kaiju's head, it can send an electrical discharge through it to stun or in some cases debilitate it. Against the sort of Kaiju seen in the movie, the former is probably far more likely. It's worth noting that while Cherno was out-brawling Otachi, it was not doing so to the degree that Striker was. This was obviously due primarily to Striker's superior speed (as it could attack Otachi repeatedly without giving her as much time to brace against the next blow). Still, the fact that Otachi wasn't sent sprawling with every one of Cherno's punches suggests that the "roll of nickels" and hydraulic piston punches together aren't twice as effective as, say, Striker's brass knuckles. Ranged Weaponry Crimson Typhoon has a single plasma cannon in its left arm. The IB22 plasmacaster is supposedly three times as powerful as the I-19 in Gipsy Danger. It's unclear whether this refers to the I-19 before or after the upgrade (as it is significantly more powerful in the Battle of Hong Kong than at Anchorage). Either way, though, the poor fire rate (supposedly, it can only fire once every 6.8 seconds) and ammunition considerations (Crimson Typhoon is not nuclear, and therefore wouldn't be able to manage as many shots as Gipsy) mean it is probably not quite as good overall as the two plasma cannons that Gipsy has. Cherno Alpha's ranged weapons are two incinerator turbines. But how they work depends largely on whether or not they are actual weapons or simply a fuel purge mechanism similar to that of Gipsy Danger's Vortex Turbine. Supposedly, Cherno's reactor "holds unprecedented energy reserves and incendiary fuel". Given that Cherno doesn't run on incendiary fuel, the most likely use for this is the incinerator turbines, which would suggest that they are official (rather than improvised) weapons. The fact that they are listed as weapons in the artbook supports this (Gipsy's ability to vent coolant isn't listed as a weapon, for example). Therefore, the best conclusion is that the incinerator turbines are a type of flamethrower. It's difficult to judge how damaging they might be, but they're almost certainly not as hot as a shot from a plasma cannon, and they probably have a shorter range, as well. So, how do they compare with Gipsy and Striker? In terms of raw physical numbers, Striker wins gold, while Cherno and Typhoon tie for silver. Gipsy vows revenge in the weapon events. In terms of ranged weapons, it would seem that Gipsy is still at the head of the pack. Striker and Crimson Typhoon come next, and Cherno brings up the rear, as his flamethrowers are likely not as damaging or as long-ranged as plasma cannons and missiles. For fist weapons, Cherno probably comes out on top, followed by Gipsy and Striker (Typhoon has none). As noted earlier, the fact that Cherno has two fist weapons (we'll consider the tesla fists separately, as using them requires more than simply striking the opponent) doesn't seem to give him double the advantage, but it's still hard to believe that with two different such weapons that he wouldn't have the overall edge. Meanwhile, Gipsy has a one-shot wonder in the elbow rocket and Striker's brass knuckles are outnumbered by Cherno's "roll of nickels" and hydraulic pistons. For bladed weapons, Gipsy and Striker are still joint champions, as Crimson Typhoon's spinning blades aren't as damaging or as large as those of its allies (and they do nothing against blueshed). In terms of physical features, Typhoon is by far the winner thanks to its third arm, flexibility, and superior rear thrusters. After that is Gipsy (whose rear jets are never depicted as able to add force to a blow like Typhoon's), then Striker and Cherno (Cherno ties with Striker because its poor substitute for a balancing system counteracts the advantage of being nuclear and analog). For miscellaneous weapons, Gipsy and Cherno are the only competitors. Both the coolant vent and tesla fists effectively require a grapple, and Cherno has the advantage there (since the coolant vent can really only be done once), but Gipsy steals victory through the sheer might of the Vortex Turbine's fuel purge. For Cherno Alpha, what this means is that its primary advantages over the competition are its armor and brawling weaponry. But Crimson Typhoon carries the advantages of speed, firepower, flexibility, and that third arm. Gipsy holds a speed and firepower advantage as well, but it also has the edge provided by its chainswords and the Vortex Turbine. Meanwhile, Striker can play Cherno's game better than it can. On Crimson Typhoon's side, its primary advantage over Gipsy and Striker are its flexibility and third arm. However, both Gipsy and Striker have better arsenals. The difference is striking in the case of Gipsy Danger, as it not only has superior weapons, but also several weapons for which Typhoon has no equivalent. Striker, on the other hand, supplements its weapon advantage with greater armor. Conclusion Overall, I'd conclude that Crimson Typhoon might have a slight advantage over Cherno Alpha (mainly because of that third arm), but neither of them seems to be up to the level of Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka. Striker and Gipsy simply have too many advantages over Cherno, and in the case of Typhoon, the simple fact is that being able to kick, reverse one's torso, or attack twice at the same time just isn't as useful against a Kaiju as cutting it in half or freezing body parts off of it. All things considered, it actually makes a bit of sense. Technology marches on, and old tech gets left behind. But since Cherno was obviously engineered to an unusually high quality (good pilots or not, how else could a Mk I survive all the way into the days of category IVs?) and the Mk IVs went non-nuclear (which almost certainly made it harder to get the most out of them), it still remains nearly as effective as the more modern Crimson Typhoon. Striker Eureka, then, being the most advanced, ends up with the greatest physical capabilities. But then we have Gipsy Danger, a relic from the Mk III age who already had a normal assortment of weapons, yet needed to be partially rebuilt and brought up to modern standards. Obviously, they're going to take advantage of any technological progress that was made in those five years (keep in mind that Striker Eureka was only two years older than Gipsy Danger) in the upgrades. And weapons are some of the easiest things to upgrade. So, what you end up with is a physically inferior chassis from the past with gadgets that are so cutting edge they make Striker Eureka feel old and jealous. You may or may not agree with my interpretation of the data, but I'm confident that the data itself is sound. Category:Blog posts